Facebook Places, foursquare check-ins bolster Gowalla 3.0

Location-based social networking service Gowalla unveiled its Gowalla 3.0 update for Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone, adding a combined activity tab that integrates the present whereabouts of users' friends from rival solutions Facebook and foursquare. "We've combined them all into a single, connected activity feed with all your friends, regardless of the service they checked in on," writes Gowalla CEO Josh Williams on the firm's blog. In addition, the revamped app supports site-specific check-ins via Facebook Places and foursquare as well as Twitter and Tumblr, and also promises to make it easier for users to check in at their favorite locations: "Simply tap the Check In button that is universally present in the tab bar and based on your previous history and current location, we'll auto-fill where we think you are," Williams explains. "We get it right about 80 percent of the time. In the cases where our best guess was a little off, it's super easy to select the correct location with a couple quick taps."

Also new in Gowalla 3.0: Notes, enabling users to leave messages for specific friends (or even themselves) at any location. Contacts will receive the Note the next time they check in at that spot--Williams suggests leaving menu recommendations, welcoming someone to the area or leaving reminders for future stops. Gowalla 3.0 additionally touts Highlights and Bookmarks. The update is slated to roll out across Android, BlackBerry and iPad in the near future.

The Gowalla solution enables consumers to "check in" at restaurants, bars and related points of interest worldwide via GPS-enabled mobile device; users can recommend locations to friends, share photos and notes on their experience, and even earn passport-inspired "stamps" and related digital rewards for their efforts. Last month, Gowalla announced a deal with Disney Parks, enabling visitors to engage with family and friends around the world via custom Disney Gowalla pages and Passport Stamps.

For more:
- read this Gowalla Blog entry

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